The King's party, three hundred strong,¹ arrives at Winterfell beneath the crowned stag of House Baratheon. Eddard recognizes Ser Jaime Lannister, Sandor Clegane, and Tyrion Lannister immediately, but the king himself, flanked by two knights of the Kingsguard² looks practically a stranger. Eddard has not seen the king since Greyjoy's Rebellion nine years ago, when Eddard and Robert joined forces to deal with Balon Greyjoy, who proclaimed himself king of the Iron Islands, and Eddard took Balon's son, Theon as his ward. Since that time, Robert has grown fat. Robert greets Eddard and Catelyn warmly, and Eddard greets Queen Cersei and her children³ as well. With the greetings out of the way, Robert immediately demands to go down to the crypts to pay his respects. Cersei begins to protest, but Jaime stops her. Once there, Eddard and Robert walk to the end of the rows of graves to where Eddard's father, Lord Rickard, his elder brother, Brandon, and his sister, Lyanna, are buried. Brandon was strangled by the order of Aerys II Targaryen days before he was supposed to wed Catelyn while Lord Rickard was forced to watch.⁴ Lyanna was sixteen when she died, and she was supposed to have married Robert. Robert pays his respects to the woman he loved and laments that she was buried deep underground. Eddard reminds the king that he was with Lyanna when she died and expressed a desire to be buried with her father and brother. He also remembers the promise he made to her, and how the fear went out of her eyes when he made it.⁵. Eddard's companions found him clutching her body some time later, and the crannogman Howland Reed had to take his hand from hers. Robert tells Eddard how he vowed to kill Rhaegar for what he did to Lyanna. Eddard reminds Robert that he did so, and Robert laments that he could only do so once. It had been during a battle at a ford on the Trident. Robert and Rhaegar met in single combat in the river, until Robert landed a killing blow to Rhaegar's chest with his warhammer.

Robert tells Eddard that Lord Jon's sickness came on suddenly. He had been healthy and fit on the tournament for the nameday of Robert's son, but two weeks later he was dead. Robert fears that his death drove Lysa mad. She refused to let her son, Robert, be fostered by Lord Tywin Lannister at Casterly Rock and withdrew to the Eyrie in the dead of night. Lord Tywin had never taken a ward before, and Robert feels Lysa should have been honored. Eddard offers to foster him at Winterfell, but Robert says that he cannot offer Robert to another now that Tywin has accepted. Robert also says that Jon's son will not be granted the title of Warden of the East that has always belonged to House Arryn. Eddard is surprised, but Robert says that a sickly boy cannot be a war leader. Eddard points out that the title is only an honor when the realm is at peace, but Robert will hear no more of it. Robert explains that he came north to make Eddard the Hand of the King to replace Lord Jon. The Hand is the second most powerful man in the kingdom, speaking with the king's voice, commanding his armies, drafting his laws, and even dispensing justice from the Iron Throne in the king's name if he is indisposed. Eddard does not want the position, but Robert is insistant and even plans to betroth his son Joffrey to Eddard's daughter, Sansa. Eddard asks for time to think the offer over.